Chapter 54

**Merianna**

“Did you guys seriously manage to find and then kidnap Orbus?” I asked incredulously. Saying that Raska was good at tracking and nabbing was like saying that the sun rose from the East, but I honestly didn’t think that she would have been able to find this guy within the span of a day.

“Very close but not quite.” Jasnine piped up as she moved inside the room too.

“We managed to nab one of his contacts. Or rather, a regular hang buddy.” Raska announced proudly as she dropped the dead weight onto the floor.

“How often does he stay in contact with this guy?” Hilda asked suspiciously while nudging the heap with her toe.

“As far as we can tell, at least often enough to get together for drinks at least once a month.” Jasnine answered while dangling a phone from her fingers.

“You weren’t able to pick anything up from the actual guy we’re looking for?” Noch frowned.

“Hmmm, not clearly enough to be used for pinpoint accuracy, he’s put some pretty good protections on himself right now. Everything we try either gets misled to a dead zone or somewhere inhospitable.The best location we could get a read on was that he’s hiding out somewhere in the Northern regions of Africa. For all we know he could be in the middle of a desert or sitting in a penthouse in Dubai.” Jasnine answered with a shrug.

“And there is no way that I’m running through a whole damn country on foot looking for someone who knows his goose is cooked if he gets caught. Especially not in desert temperatures.” Raska pulled a face of contempt.

“So, our next best option after that was to do some backward tracking to see what people he might have touched, hugged or heck, even kissed.” Jasnine explained.

“And Tada! This guy lit up like a lighthouse.” Raska presented the guy on the floor like he was some sort of grand prize, and in some ways, he really was.

“I wonder if he would know Orbus’ current location.” Nelia asked curiously.

“With how often they meet up with each other, if he doesn’t know his location right now. They would somehow get into contact soon in order to organize another get together.” Raska looked positively thrilled at the thought of actually catching the main person we’re all after.

“Well, I guess that would mean that this wonderful gift you fine ladies had brought up to us, would need to spend some time in the dungeons until he regains consciousness.” Fog said as he waved his hand in a gesture that looked like he rang a bell.

“He would need to settle in since he’s going to be here for a while.” Noch chuckled darkly. “But seriously you two, a flax bag?”

“Medieval much?” I added.

They both shrugged at the same time. “We were in a big Spanish farmer’s market. We made do with what was available.” Jasnine answered.

As I snorted a laugh a single knock came from the door. “You called Fog?” Dorris asked as she rounded the doorway. However she didn’t round the corner empty handed.

“I hope one of those is for me.” Noch teased from his table.

“You can go jump in a well, I’ll happily cement it over afterwards.” She snipped back and came over to Nelia and me.

“Here you go girls. Thought you’d like something when you had the time.” She said sweetly as she handed both Nelia and me each a cup of homemade hot chocolate.

“Thank you Dorris!” Nelia squealed happily and gratefully took the cup.

For a second, it reminded me of some cold winter days around the castle where Nelia and I stared outside at the rare white scenery that came with a heavy snowfall. Something that came around maybe once every 5 years or so. So Nelia and I always made an effort to skip all classes on those special days and just play outside in the snow, then gaze at it from inside when the temperatures got too cold. Always on those especially cold days at the castle, Dorris magically appeared with the most amazing cups of hot chocolate that anyone could ever have tasted. It was especially magical back in those days when it was still a very rare and treasured commodity.

My hands cupped the mug gently, and I inhaled greedily as the smell hit my nose. “Thank you Dorris.”

My face must have held something, because Dorris quickly harrumphed to hide her increasingly misty eyes. “Thought you might need something sweet by now.” she said gruffly.

Nelia must have picked up on my mood as well, and had the same train of thought. She cozied up instantly and put her head on my shoulder like she always used to do as we both happily sat in each other’s company.

“Awww what about me?” Noch whined pitifully. “I’ve been working just as hard as the Demon Spawn!”

“You do not deserve any such thing!” Dorris yelled, wagging her finger. “Me, me, me is all I ever hear coming from you! You already have a clean bedroom you rarely use because you like living in the walls, and warm breakfast and dinner every single day in the cafeteria. You need nothing else!” She huffed.

“You know what? She does have a point.” I chuckled as I happily took a sip and instantly melted in bliss.

“Oh shut it.” He muttered back sourly, thoroughly cowed by Dorris.

Fog had waited patiently while we all bickered, and now that he had an opening he wasn’t going to let it slip by.

“Dorris dear, could you please ready one of the dungeon rooms for our new guest here?” He asked politely while pointing at the still-bagged victim.

Dorris looked down disdainfully. “I hope you don’t expect me to cart this **thing** down there as well.”

“Of course not. Noch will take him down momentarily as soon as we are done here.” He smiled charmingly. If I hadn’t known Fog as well as I did and for as long as I did, I would have been one of the many women in the world that swoon at exceedingly handsome older men.

“Awwww why me?!” Noch pouted. Both Dorris and Fog just gave Noch dry looks that screamed, ‘You know exactly why’.

“Urgh, fine fine I’ll lug the captive down there.” Dorris gave Noch a curt nod, then disappeared out the door to no doubt get a cell set up in the dungeons. I wondered what on earth Dorris would need to get set up though, since the whole castle including the dungeons were always impeccably clean and well kept thanks to her.

“Now then. I suppose that this concludes our meeting for now, unless anyone has anything else to add to what we have shared? Jasnine, Raska, I will fill the two of you in on everything that was shared while the two of you were absent.” Fog announced.

With that, everyone started despursing. Nelia and I finished our cups of hot chocolate, and I nearly instantly let out a jaw cracking yawn.

“You should go get some sleep. Another busy day will be just around the corner.” Nelia said with a tight hug, then took my cup as she stood up to leave.

“You’re probably right. See you tomorrow Nia.” Thyrion helped me up to my feet and instantly started leading me towards the corridor that led to our room.

Thyrion chuckled softly as he led me along. “What are you laughing at?” I asked curiously.

“Nothing much. I just think that your tired face is quite endearing.” I playfully swatted at his stomach which just made him chuckle more.

“I guess sitting still and reading for nearly an entire day really does sap the energy from me.”

“It looked like Noch was in the same boat too.” Thyrion noted.

“Oh, you’re right. And now he’s stuck with the guy Raska and Jasnine had brought along.”

“Yep, it doesn’t look like he’s going to get much sleep tonight.”

“He might though! He’s impulsive enough to just leave the guy, bag and all in the cells and say ‘to hell with it all’ and just disappear into his hidey hole.”

Thyrion laughed. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that is exactly what he’d do!”

“Let's bet on it!” I said excitedly.

“I bet that he’s stuck with the guy and you bet that he’d just leave him there and go to bed himself?” Thyrion asked with a grin.

“Yep! Exactly!”

“Oh? What would you want if you win?” Thyrion’s eyes gleamed with mischief.

“I would like to be booked into a full spa day. Five star treatment, the works.” Just thinking of having a full body relaxation session had me swooning. “And you?”

“Hmmm…” Thyrion glanced suggestively down at me. His eyes slowly roamed down my body. He stopped and wrapped his arms around my waist as we reached our bedroom door.

“I think you know what I’d want. I already have the one thing I’ve been dreaming about for the longest time, right here in my arms. If I win the bet, I’d want to be a bit selfish and have you in my arms all… night… long. And you know I don’t mean in just the sleeping sense.” Thyrion had leaned down and whispered the last bit in my ear, making goosebumps run all along my body.

I was a little bit surprised, but to say I wasn’t expecting it would be wrong. This guy was too darn handsome for his own good, and he knew well enough how much his charm and looks worked on me.

I pouted teasingly. “But, that’s not really something you have to actually win though.”

He leaned in with a grin and slowly pecked my lips. “Aren’t you tired?”

“Well of course I am, but I’m certainly not tired enough to leave something like this until you win one of our bets.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and gave him a lingering kiss.

I felt his skin flush under my fingertips and looked into his deep brown eyes. “Well, we do have a lot to catch up on. I promise to be gentle.” his voice dipped so low that it gave me goosebumps.

“Any way you have me, is always perfect.” I whispered in his ear.

I gave a surprised squeak as Thyrion quickly picked me up by my thighs and wrapped my legs around his waist. The surprise quickly gave way to a satisfied chuckle as he opened my door and swiftly whisked both of us inside.

Lots to catch up on indeed…